Date:	Sunday 25 July 1909
Time:	05:13
Type:	Bleriot XI
Owner/operator:	Louis Bleriot
Registration:	unregistered
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	North Foreland Meadow near Dover, Kent -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Calais, France
Destination airport:	Dover, Kent
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
The Blériot XI gained lasting fame on 25 July 1909 when Blériot crossed the English Channel from Calais to Dover, winning a £1,000 prize awarded by the Daily Mail. For several days, high winds had grounded Blériot and his rivals: Hubert Latham, who flew an Antoinette monoplane, and Count de Lambert, who brought two Wright biplanes. On 25 July, when the wind had dropped in the morning and the skies had cleared, Blériot took off at sunrise (04:15am). Flying without the aid of a compass, he deviated to the east of his intended course, but, nonetheless, spotted the English coast to his left. Battling turbulent wind conditions, Blériot made a heavy "pancake" landing, damaging the undercarriage and shattering one blade of the propeller, but he was unhurt. The flight had taken 36.5 minutes and had made Blériot a celebrity, instantly resulting in many orders for copies of his aircraft.

The aircraft, which never flew again, was hurriedly repaired and put on display at Selfridges department store in London. It was later displayed outside the offices of the French newspaper Le Matin, and eventually bought by the Musee des Arts et Metiers in Paris.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Bl%C3%A9riot#Channel_crossing
2. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/world/europe/25crossing.html?_r=0
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Bl%C3%A9riot#1909_Channel_crossing
4. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/louis-bl-riot-and-the-first-channel-crossing/
5. http://www.hellfirecorner.co.uk/bleriot.htm
6. https://centennialofflight.net/essay/Dictionary/Bleriot/DI11.htm
7. https://disciplesofflight.com/louis-bleriot-inventor-designer-and-daring-pilot/
8. http://www.simplyplanes.co.uk/louis_bleriot.shtml

The Blériot Memorial, the outline of the aircraft laid out in granite setts in the turf, marks his landing spot above the cliffs near Dover Castle. 51.1312°N 1.326°E.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Mar-2008 22:01	Bleiente	Added
15-Oct-2013 16:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
26-Nov-2018 17:13	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type]
28-Jul-2022 14:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Category]